On April 1, 1985, Jordan Brand released one of the most coveted and most popular shoes of all time, the Air Jordan 1. The minds of Michael Jordan, Tinker Hatfield, Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore designed the classic shoe that people of all ages love so much. The shoe broke boundaries as Nike gave Michael Jordan his own brand to release the shoe, which was unheard of at the time. 

When released ,the NBA even attempted to ban certain colorways of the shoe as they claimed they were not mostly white and did not keep in line with team colors. The brand capitalized on this claim by the NBA and led a whole marketing campaign around the NBA attempting to ban the shoe. The campaign worked wonders and the Air Jordan 1 soared to a new level of popularity and sold out extremely quickly. This was the start of the rich history of the iconic Air Jordan 1.

Currently, the Air Jordan 1 is a highly desired shoe leading to resale prices of thousands of dollars however, there are still many colorways available for purchase in the hundred dollar range. I have owned two pairs of Air Jordan 1’s in my life, with another expected to ship in the forthcoming weeks and they are by far my favorite shoes I have ever owned. The design allows them to tie into any outfit and are easy to throw on quickly and still look good anytime. The shoes are also easy to stylize and people have createdmany different ways of wearing them over the years; from un-tied to laced all the way up, you can’t go wrong rocking the Air Jordan 1.

Some think the high price tag of the Air Jordan 1 isn’t worth the hype. “I don’t really get why people spend hundreds of dollars on just some outdated shoes from the 80’s,” said Andrea Hunt ‘21. Hunt doesn’t believe that there is a justification to spend egregious amounts of money for a simple pair of shoes when there are so many cheaper options available. She also reflected on why it doesn’t make sense to her for people to buy shoes designed for basketball play as streetwear.

Though there are some high price tags, the Air Jordan 1 can be found sometimes under $100 for the right colorway and on the right seller. The shoe is definitely worth the money if you appreciate the history behind it, and appreciate the flawless design that allows the shoe to be worn during any occasion and complementing any outfit. Back in 1985 the shoe was designed and meant for use on the basketball court;however ,today in 2020 the shoe’s performance technology is highly outdated and you will never see a basketball player wearing the Air Jordan 1 for play. On the contrary, you will see the shoe worn on the streets, as the leather upper breaks in to from around your foot and gives comfort for everyday wear.